Physical Books Outsell Ebooks By A Landslide

It might be surprising to some, but the physical book is still relevant in today's digital world. A recent study even found that they outsold ebooks by a huge amount in 2018.

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The report, published by the Association of American Publishers', found that print books made up around 87% of the total book market in 2018. They grossed $22.6 billion worldwide. In comparison, ebooks only held 7.8% of the market, with only around $2.04 billion.

Meryl Halls, managing director of the Booksellers' Association in the U.K. says this huge divide and distancing from the digital version is due to the appeal of "the physical object".

"I think the e-book bubble has burst somewhat, sales are flattening off, I think the physical object is very appealing," Halls told CNBC. "It's about decorating your home, it’s about collecting, I guess, because people are completists aren’t they, they want to have that to indicate about themselves."

In the U.K., research shows that 63% of physical book sales are made by people under 44-years-old. Those over 45-years-old accounted for 52% of ebook sales in the U.K.

Just goes to show that sometimes you just can't beat the smell of a new paperback novel.